


(Don't Want to) Hide the Truth

by ironxprince



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Mentioned May Parker (Spider-Man), Precious Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25267762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ironxprince/pseuds/ironxprince
Summary: As Spider-Man, Peter has one rule that he follows no matter what: he never reveals his identity, and it's working out pretty well. Even when May asks questions, even when Iron Man finds him on patrol, still, he never gives his name.And then, he gets the opportunity to intern at Avengers Tower.With Tony Stark.There's only one way this can end.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 24
Kudos: 297
Collections: The Friendly Neighborhood Exchange





	(Don't Want to) Hide the Truth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gothbats](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothbats/gifts).



No one can know about Spider-Man; that’s the one rule Peter set for himself upon realizing the powers he’d been granted. People would take advantage of him, Peter knows they would - they’d use him to further their own agendas, use him for his status. They’d become fake around him, always pretending, and that was if they’d even  _ believe  _ him. If he  _ were  _ to tell them, what would he even say?  _ Hey everyone, I’m part spider! _ He’d be laughed out of school.

So, his friends can’t know, but he can’t tell May, either.

Peter has these powers, and he  _ has  _ to use them for good. If he doesn’t, what use is he? It’s wasted potential, and not just failing a test he could’ve aced if he tried harder. He has the potential to  _ save  _ people, to give them better lives, and he has to use it! If he tells May about what he does at night, swinging around the city known for muggings and murders, wearing clothes he found buried in the back of his closet and suspended by a material previously unknown to the world that he himself had fabricated, she’d make him stop - or, even worse, she’d ask for  _ updates _ .

No way.

No one can know, and that’s okay. It’s been just over two months now with his powers. Peter’s marks in school are dropping, and May is beginning to take notice. He’s been managing to dismiss it as just an unlucky unit, but she’s beginning to catch on -  _ “Unlucky units? In  _ all  _ of your classes? For two months straight?” _

The more she inquires into his business, the more nervous Peter gets. He  _ hates  _ lying to May, hates it deep in his bones, but if he told her the truth, it would crush her, especially after lying about it for so long. But the longer he waits, the worse it’ll be, and now it’s practically impossible to tell her the truth; Peter doesn’t think he’ll be able to force the words out, even if he wants to.

Peter is locking his bedroom door, donning the suit, and sneaking out his bedroom window before he can stop to consider it. It’s his coping mechanism, his escape. Thinking only of others, of saving people and helping strangers, it keeps Peter out of his own head, and he needs that more than anything tonight after May’s persistent inquiries.

Unfortunately, the city doesn’t seem to agree.

_ Nothing  _ is happening. It’s like the criminals of Queens all collectively decided to hide away tonight, to taunt Peter, leaving him to deal with his thoughts, but that’s not anything Peter’s ever been good at.

Peter settles on an apartment rooftop a few streets away from his and May’s own, watching cars pass by below. A vehicle makes an unsafe right turn, and Peter watches as the car behind slams on their breaks and lays on the horn. He flinches, even from way up in the air, still not used to all the extra sensory input - and it’s that moment of weakness that allows him to be caught off-guard by a presence on the roof behind him when he hadn’t even heard anyone approach. Even more of an issue, because this seems like the kind of person that wouldn’t be able to make a stealthy introduction; it’s not in their nature.

The hairs on the back of Peter’s neck stand up and he jumps to his feet, spinning and simultaneously crouching into a fighting stance. His fingers are halfway to his web shooters when he stops, taking in exactly who stands a few feet in front of him.

The Iron Man suit hovers a couple inches above the gravel rooftop and Peter freezes, eyes widening behind his darkened goggles.

“Don’t shoot,” a voice within says with levity, and Peter’s breath catches in his throat.

“Tony Stark,” he says without meaning to, and the faceplate of the suit pulls back. The man himself looks down at Peter, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips, and Peter thinks he might just faint. Did he already? Is this a dream?

“The one and only,”  _ the  _ Tony Stark says. “Now, I think it’s unfair that you know my name, and I don’t know yours.”

Peter swallows thickly, gathering his courage to force out a couple of words.  _ Remember the rule _ , he makes himself think through the haze in his mind. “You’re not supposed to,” Peter manages to say, gesturing to the mask.

Tony chuckles, letting his own mask fall back into place. “Keeping with the image, huh? I can respect that.”

“Uh, Mr. Stark? Why are you here?”

“Tony. Or  _ Mr. Iron Man _ will do fine. I came to check in on New York’s newest hero, obviously.”

_ Tony Stark just called me a hero _ , Peter thinks. He can feel a blush growing on his cheeks; he’s suddenly grateful he fought his instincts and kept his mask on. Otherwise, this would just be embarrassing.

“Oh, well, I’m great!” Peter stutters. “How are you?”

“Yeah, it’s not really a _check-in_ , check-in.” There’s humor behind his words, and Peter can’t help but take it personally. Is Tony laughing at him? “This is more of a, _if you’re going to be running around this city wearing a mask, we need you on our radar_ check-in.”

“... Oh,” Peter says quietly, not sure where this is going. He can’t reveal his identity; he can’t break the rule, but if this comes down to a fight between him and Iron Man, Peter’s not sure he’ll be able to hold his own.

“Thanks for doing what you’re doing for this city, really. It’s great. The Avengers just have a couple of questions, just to make sure we stay amiable, keep things right as rain.”

“Right as rain,” Peter repeats under his breath.

The Iron Man helmet nods up and down. “That’s right. Take this as the initial visit. We’ll be checking in from time to time. I’ll find you, unless you want to give us your phone numbe-”

“This method is good,” Peter says quickly.

“Great. Now, I’m trusting that you won’t go off the grid the moment I leave this rooftop.” The  _ because I’ll find you  _ goes unsaid. This is Tony Stark; of course he’ll be able to find one person hiding in New York.

“No, Sir,” Peter answers quickly.

“Good. I’ll see you around.” The suit begins to lift off into the air. “Good luck out there tonight.” With that Iron Man flies away, leaving Peter to wonder what the  _ hell  _ just happened.

//

The next time Iron Man finds him is two weeks later, when Peter was just beginning to forget the interchange.

“You’re really saving New York in  _ that? _ ” are Tony’s first words as he finds Peter scaling the wall of an alleyway, and Peter almost loses his grip. He regains control and climbs to the rooftop, the Iron Man suit following him and settling a couple of feet away.

“Just Queens,” Peter mumbles.

“Yeah, not anymore.” It’s at that moment Peter realizes the suit is carrying a briefcase in one hand, and Peter wonders how difficult the flight over was.

The suit drops the case and takes a couple of steps back, leaving Peter to move forward. He approaches it warily. “What is it?”

“Take a look.”

_ It’s Iron Man _ , Peter thinks.  _ Tony Stark. Why would he do anything to hurt you? _

Carefully, Peter unlatches the case, and almost jumps back as something pops out, some kind of display platter. It’s…  _ glowing _ , casting an eerie blue light over the rooftop. Peter wants to lift a hand to shield the light, wondering who may be looking and what they’ll think, but then the actual contents of the case catch his eye, and all previous fears are forgotten.

It looks like… “A suit?” Peter asks in awe, unable to take his eyes from the wide, white plates gleaming back at him.

“Should prove more effective than your….” Tony gestures at Peter’s form, crouched on the floor. “Onesie,” he decides on.

“It’s not a onesie,” Peter argues, suddenly defensive. It doesn’t last for long, because the tech sitting in front of him, it’s… it’s  _ awesome _ .

A suit. A literal suit, made for him, by Tony Stark.

What. The.  _ Hell _ .

“It’s got some enhanced features, an AI to help you out,” Tony tells Peter as he gently lifts the suit from the case, holds it up to get a better look. “I suggest you take it out for a test drive before you actually use it in battle. Get a feel for it first.”

A smile lights up Peter’s face; he can’t help it. This is  _ insane _ .

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” he gleams. “Really, this is great, thank you-”

“Alright there, young buck. One was enough. You’re good.”

Peter nods, blushing. “Thank you.”

“That’s-” Tony sighs. “You’re very welcome. Keep in touch, alright?”

“Will do.”

And that’s where it starts.

//

From then on Spider-Man and Iron Man interact constantly. There’s a messaging service set up in the suit where Peter can communicate with Tony, requiring no information aside from Peter’s superhero name. Every week Iron Man will stop by on Peter’s patrols, offer him a few tips, some guidance. Every couple of weeks he’ll invite Spider-Man over to the tower, but Peter will always decline.  _ I might reveal myself _ , he thinks anxiously, as much as he may want to, and that want is  _ strong _ . He’s so close to accepting, every single time, but he can’t, because of the rule.

That damn rule.

But he wants, with all his heart, to visit Avengers Tower. Just going inside would be enough, seeing all the advanced technology Tony must have stored away somewhere - and from what Tony was offering him, to come by and work on the suit, that sounds even  _ cooler _ . Working in the Avengers Tower laboratory, with Tony Stark himself? It’s a literal dream come true - so it’s such a shame that Peter has to turn it down, every single time.

Until, Midtown offers him an opportunity.

Apparently, Avengers Tower is looking at schools across the state for interns.  _ Interns _ , with the Avengers! Peter desperately wants to go, to at least apply - it’s a chance to see everything he’s wanted to for the last three months since meeting Iron Man! Plus, imagine all the experience, everything he’ll be able to add to his resume!

But… but what if he accidentally runs into Tony? What if he gets too comfortable, and something slips, or, even worse, what if Tony figures him out? Notices it on sight, catches his voice, his mannerisms,  _ something? _

“You have to do it,” May urges. “Come on, Peter, the way your face lights up whenever you talk about it - which is a lot, really. You’ve been talking about it nonstop for the last week. I don’t care what’s holding you back, there’s no way I’m letting you walk away from something you’re  _ clearly  _ so excited about.”

Eventually, Peter gives in. She’s right, of course, and this is something he wants to do,  _ so  _ bad. Plus, the chances of a lowly high school student running into  _ the  _ Tony Stark while taking part in a basic internship program are infinitesimal. There’s no chance of it ever happening. So, Peter applies for the position.

And, of course, he gets it.

//

He runs into Tony Stark on his first day, because,  _ of course  _ he does.

When Peter walks into the lobby of Avengers Tower, accompanied by seven other students with wide eyes, an attendant greets them, beginning to give them a tour around the base floor. A second employee steps up to the first’s side before they can truly get started and whispers something in their ear.

Their tour guide smiles. “Do we have a Peter Parker here?” Peter raises a trembling hand -  _ in trouble within the first five minutes? Seriously?  _ \- and the second employee waves him over.

Nervously, Peter trots to her side.

“Hi there. My name’s Stacy, and I work with the selection committee for this program. We were all very impressed by the resume you submitted.”

Peter begins toying with his hands behind his back as his brows shoot into his hairline. “Oh! Uh, thank you!”

“My pleasure! It was so impressive, you actually garnered the attention of one of our higher-ups.” Stacy leans in, like she’s about to tell Peter a secret. His heart begins to beat twice as fast. “How would you like to intern for Tony Stark himself?”

Peter practically jolts out of his skin, staggering backward.  _ No. No, no, this can’t happen- _

_ Yes _ , his heart argues, shutting up his mind.  _ This is an incredible opportunity. It’s everything you wanted. _

_ But the rule- and how did Tony- _

_ Forget about the rule. Don’t ask why. You wear a mask as Spider-Man. You’ve never given Tony your name. There’s no way he’ll figure it out, not if you’re careful _ .

Peter gives Stacy a shaky smile and tries to guess the colour of his skin right now. Probably somewhere between coffee with too much milk and straight-up snow.

“That- that sounds great,” he manages to stutter, and Stacy smiles at him.

“Good. Right this way, please.”

//

Tony might actually be the coolest person Peter’s ever met (twice). He greets Peter with a smile, shakes his hand, and actually,  _ actually  _ introduces himself, as if Peter wouldn’t know who he is, as if Peter hadn’t been dreaming of this moment since he was eight.

The moment Stacy steps back into the elevator, Tony pulls off his abnormally large sunglasses and guides Peter to his laboratory.

His personal laboratory.

Tony Stark’s personal laboratory.

Peter Parker is working in Tony Stark’s personal laboratory with Tony Stark-

Peter thinks his head might explode.

Tony shows Peter where everything is, explains the ground rules, and they get to work.

//

The next month is simultaneously the best, and worst, of Peter’s life.

On the one hand, Tony comes up with new designs for Spider-Man’s suit,  _ perfect  _ enhancements that couldn’t have been better if Peter came up with the ideas and designed them himself.

The issue, Peter  _ did  _ design them himself.

Tony took a liking to Peter quickly, and it was evident. He was given access to practically anything on Tony’s private floor by his third meeting in the laboratory; it’s almost insane how quickly Tony took a liking to the boy, built up trust with him. And thus, it was only a matter of time before Tony gave Peter access to the Spider-Man suit, the same one Peter had given away the night before and would get back tomorrow.

Peter broke into a cold sweat the moment he saw it, leaving Tony to fetch him a glass of water. (Yup. Tony filled Peter Parker a glass of water. Bizarre.) Peter waved it off, chalked it up to stress at school, and that was that, but the meetings were growing more tense.

Peter had to closely monitor what he said. He was mixing up details, mentioning things he shouldn’t know, and the stress was killing him. He couldn’t enjoy his time with Tony, as either version of himself, if he was spending the entire time wondering when Tony would realize, when he would call Peter’s bluff.

Two months into the internship, Peter realizes he can’t do this anymore. He can’t keep lying. The stress is killing him. He’ll lose the suit as Spider-Man, and the internship as Peter Parker, and that’s what’s been keeping him lying this whole time, but he can’t keep it up any longer. Plus, if Tony finds out, if he learns Peter’s been lying by omission, well, that’ll be worse.

Peter will have to tell Tony himself.

Peter’s just been welcomed into his tenth meeting with Tony, doubting they’ve spent that little time together (in reality, it’s been double that, once you throw in all contact with Spider-Man). Speaking of which, Peter has barely settled at his desk ( _ his  _ desk, in Avengers Tower) when Tony drops the suit in front of him, pointing out their topic of discussion this week, and Peter can’t hide it anymore.

“Mr. Stark?” he says, voice trembling. Tony falls silent immediately, any retort at the form of address losing precedence when Peter’s voice is shaking so. “I-I have to tell you something.”

Tony leans against Peter’s desk, smiling faintly down at the boy. “Go for it.”

Peter gnaws anxiously on his lip. “You might- you might hate me.”

“The only reason I’d hate a fifteen-year-old is if he drank all my coffee, so it’s a really good thing you only drink tea. Unless you’ve been lying about that, too?” He raises a suspicious eyebrow.

Peter forces a laugh, looking down. “Um, no, actually, the thing I wanted to tell you- wait,  _ too? _ ”

Tony’s expression softens. “Why don’t you tell me what you wanted to say?”

Peter licks his lips, taking a deep breath. He forces himself to look at Tony, to maintain eye contact, so he can see when Tony’s expression fades from nonchalance, to confusion, to… anger, presumably.

“I… am Spider-Man.”

Peter holds his breath, and seconds seem to turn to minutes as he looks up at Tony, as he waits for his reaction.

But Tony just smiles. “Yeah,” he says softly. “I know.”

“You- you  _ know? _ ”

“Why do you think I started that internship program?”

Peter’s breath catches in his throat. “That was all… for  _ me? _ ”

“‘Course. I figured by your voice, by the way you spoke and the things you spoke  _ about _ , you were a kid. A high schooler, I guessed. Of course I wanted to give kids opportunities, but I wanted to give  _ you  _ the opportunity to come forward. I wanted to meet you, to let you confide in me in your own time.”

“But- but how did you know I’d apply?”

Tony shrugs, the beginnings of a smile ghosting his lips. “Lucky guess. After I got to talking with yo- sorry,  _ Spider-Man _ , for a while, I figured what you wanted out of life, what you’d do if given the opportunity.”

_ Genius _ , Peter thinks with a start.  _ Right. Don’t underestimate him _ .

“Applications came in. I picked yours out, instantly. You write in the way you speak, you know. And the details you gave on the form… things started to line up.”

It takes Peter a moment to find his voice. “If you knew it was me, why didn’t you call me out from the start?”

“I just wanted to make sure Queens’ own hero was staying safe. Once I began to realize you were a kid, I kept a closer eye on you. I needed to be sure you were protected, keeping out of danger. I would’ve provided for any hero, really, but I wasn’t exactly sure where to start with you. So, invite you over, ask you what you need. Better straight from the horse’s mouth than throwing darts randomly at a board. A safe Spider-Man, a happy Peter Parker-”

“And a pretty damn anxious one,” Peter scoffs, hands trembling in his lap. He freezes when he realizes he said that out loud, his eyes widening. “Sorry-”

Tony waves him off. “For what?” Peter just shrugs, bashfully unsure himself.

Tony pushes himself to stand from the desk, lifting his chin and offering Peter his hand. “Nice to meet you, Spider-Man.”

Peter grins as he takes it.

Tony holds his grip for a moment, smiling wide at Peter, and it’s in that moment Peter can feel the stress slide from his shoulders. It’s over - the lying, the double life, all of it. ( _ Most  _ of it - he still has to tell May, he realizes with trepidation.)

“Alright, Peter Parker,” Tony says, releasing Peter’s hand and turning back to the desk. “What would you like to add to your suit today?”

“Well, sensory input is a little much. I was thinking of ways we could dial it down...”


End file.
